http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 554163.eceEcclestone indicated that the Spaniard may be heading to Ferrari after a year’s sabbatical. “I was told there is a possibility of him taking a year off and going to Ferrari in 2009. Ferrari is where I believe he is possibly going, because Felipe [Massa] will be gone at the end of 2008,” he said.

Rumours linking Felipe Massa to Toyota for 2008 took a fresh twist on Thursday in Japan.

While the Brazilian driver denied visiting the motorhome of the Japanese team in Belgium, and any knowledge of his manager's visit, it is suggested that Nicolas Todt's mission may have been wider than simply lining up a new drive for his Brazilian charge.

Citing Italian sources, the Cologne publication Express claims that Massa's manager may have been operating on behalf of his father; Ferrari principal Jean Todt.

It is speculated that Todt has fallen out with Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, including over the latter's desire to pair Fernando Alonso alongside Kimi Raikkonen next season. Todt Snr, Jnr and Massa, therefore, might be eyeing Toyota for refuge.

Massa, though, bluntly rubbished suggestions that he is switching to Toyota when speaking to reporters at Fuji. "I am really happy in Ferrari and I would like to finish my career in Ferrari," he said.

Massa, however, confirmed reports that he may now play a supporting role at Ferrari so that Raikkonen has the best possible chance to win the drivers' title.

"I don't have any problem to help the team if I have no chance," he said. "But at the moment, I still have a chance of taking the title."

Jenson Button has reiterated that he is committed to Honda for next season and will not be part of any silly season merry-go-round that follows Fernando Alonso's decision about his future.

The driver market is currently at a halt while teams wait to see if Alonso decides to end his turbulent relationship with McLaren and look elsewhere for 2008.

Renault, Toyota and Williams have yet to announce their 2008 driver line-ups as they await the fall-out from Alonso's decision, while a highly prized McLaren seat could also be up for grabs if the world champion decides to jump ship.

Some pundits have advocated Button as a possible new team-mate for Lewis Hamilton after the Briton's impressive performances in the difficult 2007 Honda.

While Jenson welcomed the speculation, he insisted he was committed to his current team.

"It's nice that people are talking about me like that," Button told ITV Sport's Louise Goodman.

"I think it's important that people are always talking about you for different seats in Formula 1, but I'm with Honda next year."

He admitted that it had been difficult to come to terms with Honda's dramatic downturn earlier in the season, but was confident the team was now moving in the right direction.

"It's been quite demoralising at times, especially at the start of the year when I first jumped in the car and thought 'this car isn't going to work,'" said Button, whose fifth place at Shanghai yesterday was Honda's best result of the season.

"Every time I jumped in it, it made me so angry, because you just weren't in control of it.

"For a driver that is the worst feeling in the world - an inconsistent car.

"If you look at this year's car, you think 'wow, how did we get it so wrong?'

"But I think that was because we went in one direction with it, and it was the wrong one."

Button also backed Honda's 'earth car' environmental awareness campaign, which is set to continue in 2008 despite a mixed response to the initiative this year.

"I think the concept's worked," he said.

"It needed to be done.

"The Formula 1 world needed to know that there are issues out there and that we're trying to make a difference."

F1 team bosses have now reached an agreement about how to go about continuing to voluntarily regulate private testing in 2008.

A shake-up of this year's accord has been on the cards for months, with chiefs including BMW's Mario Theissen arguing that it is too restrictive on young drivers being given opportunities to drive.From next year, four days will be exempt from each teams' testing restrictions exclusively for rookies who have less than 4 days of formula one experience over the past two years.

The basic structure of the 2007 agreement will otherwise be retained, with the exception that testing next year will take place between Wednesday and Friday, rather than Tuesday to Thursday, in order to give primary drivers more time to return from races.

There will be eight tests during the 2008 season, sport1.de also reported, excluding those in the winter period.

Massa confirmed at Ferrari till 2010

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